AHOSKIE – He was one of the lucky ones.

As part of a 10-man crew onboard one of the US Army Air Force’s B-24J Liberator bombers, William Paul Sharp, Sr. stuffed his full-grown body into a glass-covered turret in the nose of this flying fortress, one with a 110-foot wingspan and could weigh up to 71,200 pounds with a maximum amount of ordinance (up to 8,000 pounds each in its forward and aft compartments) to drop on enemy targets.

Flying often at nearly 30,000 feet over heavily defended targets in the European Theater during World War II, Sharp’s hands would often grow numb from the bitter cold in that aircraft. That cold was compounded when he gripped the trigger of a belt-fed M2 Browning .50 caliber machine gun, used to help defend his craft and crew from attacking enemy fighters.

Making matters worse was the fact that the B-24J Liberator often referred to as “The Flying Coffin” because the only entry and exit from the bomber was in the rear and it was almost impossible for the flight crew and nose gunner to get from the flight deck to the rear when wearing parachutes. The corridor crawl space was less than 12 inches wide.

During his career with the 491^st Bombardment Group, attached to the 2^nd Air Division of the Army’s 8^th Air Force, Staff Sgt. Sharp flew 30 consecutive missions over Germany as the aircraft’s lead nose gunner. The probability of not returning grew higher and higher with each mission. Over one particular 10-month stretch in 1944-45, the 491^st launched aircraft on 187 missions. Fifty of those planes were lost in battle.

But yet Sharp, a native of Bertie County who lived his adult life in Ahoskie, survived, earning the Medal of Valor and other service-related citations along the way.

Those strong hands that clung tightly to a machine gun were later transformed into a livelihood that supported his family. He joined his brother-in-law, M.D. “Brownie” Brown in the early 1950’s and they formed a team responsible for the construction of countless homes and businesses in the Ahoskie area over several decades. Sharp was perhaps best known as a master craftsman in cabinet making. His handiwork can still be found throughout the local area.

Sharp, 89, died two weeks ago in the W.G. Hefner Medical Center in Salisbury, the home of his oldest son, Paul Jr. But the legacy he leaves behind is eternal.

One close friend of the family, Hal Daniels of Ahoskie, said he held Paul Sr. in the highest regard.

“What a giant among men,” said Daniels. “He was a master craftsman, and a loving father and husband – standing by his wife, Doris, as her primary caregiver as her health declined prior to her death – and a man that loved his Lord and Savior and his church (First Baptist of Ahoskie). We have lost a great man, but Heaven has gained a saint.”

After his wife passed away, Sharp became a “fixture” at Wholesale Cash & Carry, located on Memorial Drive in Ahoskie. Milton Felton, co-owner of that business, said some customers believed that Sharp was employed there.

“Nope, he didn’t work here, but he was a big part of our family,” Felton said. “We would go to the house and get him, bring him here and made sure he had something for lunch.

“I’ve known Paul Sharp all my life,” Felton added. “He was raised in my hometown, Colerain. He was a devoted family man. He looked after his family. We’ll miss him.”

Daniels recalled a time in 1960 when the Rev. Isaac Terrell was the pastor at First Baptist.

“He asked Paul if he would consider heading up and teaching the Intermediate Department here at our church,” Daniels reminisced. “After much thought and prayer, Paul agreed to do so. That was in 1960 and Paul continued to teach Sunday School until his health took a turn downward earlier this year.”

Daniels fondly recalled one particular Sunday School lessons delivered by Sharp.

“He said that one of the highest tributes and honors that any man can have is to have ‘He Was A Good Man’ inscribed on his tombstone,” Daniels noted. “I can truly say that Paul Sharp was a good man.”

Daniels was among the men in his Sunday School class that devised a plan to honor Sharp for his service to his town, his church and his country. They came up with an idea to have a document, signed by the class members, framed and presented to Sharp. That document read, “To William Paul Sharp from the Fellowship Sunday School Class of the First Baptist Church of Ahoskie, NC. This certificate of appreciation for 54 years of continuous service as a Sunday School teacher for our church beginning in 1960 as the primary teacher for the Intermediate Department and in deepest gratitude for his service in our country from 1942-46 with the 491^st Bombardment Group of the United States Army Air Force, 2^nd Air Division, 8^th Air Force, having had 30 consecutive missions over Germany, as the leading nose gunner aboard the B-24 Liberator Heavy Bomber, each mission with a high probability of not returning, helping to keep our country a free nation during World War II.”

The class had opted to present the certificate to Sharp on Sept. 7. However, his health took a turn for the worse, preventing him from making the trip from Salisbury to Ahoskie. Sharp died five days later.

“His children told me that their dad wanted to come back to Ahoskie one more time to see his many, many friends and neighbors….to tell them goodbye,” Daniels said as his typical strong voice trembled. “When we learned that he wasn’t able to come home, we had the framed certificate sent via overnight delivery by UPS to Paul Jr.’s home in Salisbury. Hopefully, Paul had the chance to see it and hold it in his hands. I hope he knew just how much he meant to us, his friends and neighbors.”

William Paul Sharp, Sr. did make it home on Sept. 17 where a memorial service was held at First Baptist. His son said it was his father’s wish to have his ashes scattered locally and on the Alligator River in Tyrrell County where he loved to fish.

Perhaps William Paul Sharp, Sr. wasn’t the lucky one; rather that designation belonged to the many individuals he befriended over a long and productive life.